Having served as his offensive coordinator for two seasons prior to their reunion this fall in Pittsburgh, Frank Cignetti Jr. has seen starting quarterback Phil Jurkovec go through many highs and lows.
Coming off a 27-21 loss to Cincinnati where he completed just 10 of his 32 pass attempts for 179 yards, plenty of eyes are on how Jurkovec will respond this Saturday as the Panthers face rival West Virginia on the road in Morgantown. While some are concerned due to what they saw from Jurkovec in Week 2, the coach who perhaps knows him best has a far different mentality.
“I know how he responds,” Cignetti Jr. said when asked about Jurkovec Wednesday. “He loves football. He loves his teammates. He is an unbelievable competitor, and he always looks at himself first. I know he’s really looking forward to getting back out there and playing again.”
Cignetti wasn’t the only one at Pitt’s facility who expressed belief that Jurkovec and the offense would bounce back. Starting tight end Gavin Bartholomew, who led the team with 80 receiving yards on three catches last week, also feels that his signal caller will turn things around in Week 3.
“He’s being a leader,” Bartholomew said. “He’s taking care of the team. He’s putting our needs first. Not everyone played great. I feel like everyone knows that. Everyone has places we need to step up in, but right now, he’s leading the offense, and he’s doing a great job. We’re excited for this week.”
Cignetti said his belief in Jurkovec was confirmed Sunday, the first time the two spoke the morning after the loss. Rather than hanging his head or pointing the finger, Cignetti said Jurkovec took accountability and was ready to move forward.
“The first thing he said to me was that he was going to play better,” Cignetti Jr. said. “We know he will. Every quarterback has gone through that. When I saw him the next morning, I could tell that after watching the tape, he was like, ‘Hey, we’re going to be good to go.’ ”
Jurkovec’s struggles weren’t the only reason Pitt’s offense was unable to get the job done last week. The Panthers offensive line allowed consistent pressure from start to finish, resulting in five sacks. Primary receiver Bub Means was also a noteworthy issue, failing to tally a single reception on 11 targets. Pitt’s players and coaches alike weren’t denying their offensive shortcomings, but both believe that better days are coming soon.
“We all play golf,” Cignetti said when asked about the connection problems between Means and Jurkovec. “Sometimes you’re in such a great rhythm you don’t miss anything. Other times, ya know, you come up short. The most important thing is you play one play at a time, and you separate it. Football is the ultimate team game. It takes everyone out there to try to function as one in order to get the maximum execution.”
“I feel like we’re so close to being the offense that we want to be,” receiver Konata Mumpfeild added. “It’s just the little things, so we’re focused on those small details and working on our execution.”
Some of those small details can perhaps be better addressed with the correct personnel. A qualm some Panther fans have expressed is the lack of involvement Rodney Hammond Jr. has had through two weeks in the season, receiving just 12 total touches — 11 rushes and one reception. When asked if he feels the staff needs to find a way for Hammond to become more involved, Cignetti instantly agreed.
“Absolutely. I take a critical look at myself in terms of the game plan and play calling. You know, after the fact, yeah, I’d like to get Rodney more touches. I’d like to get the entire running back room more touches.”
With many fixes to be made in a short amount of time, the pressure is certainly on Pitt’s offensive unit to do its part in avoiding the program’s first 1-2 start since 2019. While we will have to wait until Saturday to see if Jurkovec and co. can indeed be better, Cignetti is confident his team left its issues from Week 2 in the rearview mirror.
“I think we’ve seen a great, positive response,” Cignetti said. “When we spoke as an offense, which would’ve been yesterday morning yesterday morning, which is when we addressed the keys to victory, I could tell they were really excited and hungry to get back to work and earn the right for victory.”
Noah Hiles: nhiles@post-gazette.com and Twitter @_NoahHiles
First Published: September 13, 2023, 6:41 p.m.
